Addiction Begins With Overcorrection in Brain, Studies Find

Addiction is a disease. This simple fact is one that is only now finally taking root. For decades, most people, even the experts, viewed addiction as a moral weakness. The truth is coming to light now that researchers have uncovered the mechanisms in the brain that drive substance abuse and addiction. The newest of that research comes to us from three studies conducted at Brigham Young University’s neuroscience department.

BYU Addiction Research

It may seem ironic that the school long known for being the most sober of all higher education institutions in the U.S. is leading the way in addiction research. But the students and educators at BYU are passionate about helping those who struggle with addiction. Professor Scott Steffensen of the neuroscience research department at BYU is leading the studies that are getting to the bottom of this brain disease. Steffensen professes a faith in the possibility of a cure for addiction. He and his team recently published three new studies that are leading the way toward that cure. Their research is so promising that the National Institutes of Health has given the research team $12 million in grants to continue their work.

Addiction Driven by Overcorrection

The biggest recent finding from Steffensen’s lab may be the discovery that addiction is related to an overcorrection in the brain. The comparison can be made to driving a car. When a car slips on an icy road, the driver may overcorrect and go too far in the other direction, ending up in the ditch anyway. When a drug user takes a substance, the high experienced comes from a huge release of the brain’s pleasure chemical called dopamine.

Steffensen’s group found that the user’s brain overcorrects for that flood of dopamine. The brain releases a protein called brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) to suppress the flow of dopamine. BDNF overcorrects resulting in a deficit of dopamine in the brain and the resulting feelings of withdrawal that are so awful: tremors, headaches, irritability, nausea, etc. Those feelings of withdrawal caused by the overcorrection lead the drug user to go back for more just to feel normal again.

Steffensen and his colleagues believe that they have puzzled out a key factor in how people become addicted. The brain and body attempt to compensate for the unnatural flood of dopamine caused by a drug, but go too far. The correction continues long after the drug user has come down from the high, resulting in withdrawal. The researchers hope that they can now focus on the neurons, or brain cells, that are responsible for this overcorrection. If the creation of withdrawal could be eliminated, addiction may never take root.

The research group has also recently published other important work on addiction, including an analysis of how nicotine from cigarettes and alcohol interact with each other in the brain and how they impact dopamine release. A third published study from the BYU group describes research tackling the impact of cocaine in the brain and on the dopamine reward pathway.

The researchers from BYU are passionate about what they do and are dedicated to figuring out how addiction works and how to cure it. While they have yet to find the ultimate answer to the problem of addiction, these devoted scientists are making important headway.

Need Help Finding an Intervention Specialist?

We can refer you to an experienced interventionist who can help you help your loved one.

Intervention Topics

The Addiction Primer: Everything You Need to Know to Get Help for a Loved One

A very inexpensive yet indispensable guide for anyone struggling with a loved one's addiction. Chapters on intervention, what to expect from rehab, and information on how addiction impacts the family.

Types of Addiction Intervention

Johnson ModelThe Johnson Model of Intervention is a confrontational approach to drug and alcohol intervention that was introduced in the 1960s. An interventionist leads the family and close friends in this planned confrontation, which is unknown to the addicted individual beforehand.

Invitational ModelTo proceed with the Invitational Model of Intervention, a concerned family member must contact an interventionist about the person with a substance abuse problems. Several family members meet or talk with the interventionist, and plans for the workshop are made. One family member is coached on how to invite the addicted individual to the workshop, although it will take place regardless of whether the individual decides to attend.

Field Model It is an overlay intervention model that includes Johnson model and Invitational Model. It specifically trains to techniques you can use in the field, during the actual intervention, should problems arise, and is best suited for crisis interventions where there is a risk of violence or other critical issues that could sabotage the success of the intervention.

Archives

Archives

Addiction Intervention

If you have a loved one who is struggling with alcohol or drug addiction but he or she is resistant to treatment, sometimes the best chance for hope is to have a professional alcohol intervention specialist or drug interventionist work with you and your family to encourage them to get the help they need. Addiction-Intervention is an informal guide to intervention to help you with this process, whether you need a drug intervention specialist, alcohol interventionist, or an intervention specialist for a process addiction such as gambling.